Question 1

According to the textbook, what three main characteristics do social systems of stratification share? Provide an example of each.

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Question 2

At the beginning of her sophomore year of high school, Janis's family cannot afford to buy her new clothes and shoes or enough supplies for school. Janis feels poor compared to her classmates who can afford these things. Janis is experiencing:

Accepted Answer

Janis is experiencing relative poverty, which is defined as a situation where an individual or family lacks the resources and income to maintain the average standard of living in their society. Janis feels poor compared to her classmates who can afford new clothes and shoes, which are seen as a typical standard in her society. However, she may not necessarily be experiencing absolute poverty, which is a more extreme form of poverty in which an individual or family lacks the basic necessities of life, such as food, shelter, and healthcare. Downward mobility and exchange mobility are not appropriate in this context, as they relate to social mobility (i.e. movement up or down different positions in society) rather than poverty.

Question 3

What is meant by the phrase feminization of poverty?

Accepted Answer

The phrase "feminization of poverty" refers to the fact that a majority of the poor are women. This is due to various factors such as gender discrimination, unequal pay, and limited access to education and job opportunities.

Question 4

Those who believe that the culture of poverty theory explains why most people are in poverty would most likely favor which of the following antipoverty programs?

Accepted Answer

Those who believe in the culture of poverty theory argue that individuals in poverty lack motivation and the necessary work ethic to escape their situation. Therefore, they would favor welfare-to-work programs as a solution, as these programs aim to provide job training and employment opportunities to help individuals become self-sufficient and break the cycle of poverty.

Question 5

Those who believe that poverty results from structural factors beyond the control of individuals would see which of the following as a source of poverty?

Accepted Answer

Unequal distribution of educational resources can limit opportunities for individuals to gain knowledge and skills needed to escape poverty. This is a structural factor that is beyond the control of individuals, unlike choices such as immorality or personal responsibility. Universal health care and decreasing income inequality could potentially reduce poverty, but they are not sources of poverty themselves.

Question 6

How does the government determine the poverty line?

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Question 7

When a person does not have adequate resources to maintain his or her health, such as enough food to eat, the person is said to be in:

Accepted Answer

Absolute poverty is when a person lacks the basic necessities of life, including access to adequate food, shelter, and clothing. This is different from relative poverty, which is when a person's income and resources are below the national average and they cannot afford to participate fully in the society they live in. Downward mobility and exchange mobility refer to changes in social class over time and are not directly related to poverty.

Question 8

According to Pierre Bourdieu, working-class parents are just as interested in their children's education as middle- and upper-class parents, but they lack the ________ to help their children experience social mobility.

Accepted Answer

Bourdieu argued that middle- and upper-class parents have access to cultural capital, such as knowledge of the norms and values of education and the ability to navigate educational systems, that gives their children an advantage in terms of social mobility. Working-class parents may also value education, but they may not have the same cultural capital to provide their children with the same opportunities for success.

Question 9

Sarah believes her neighbors are poor because they have been socialized into a set of values, beliefs, and norms that result in behavior that leads to poverty. Sarah supports which of the following theories of poverty?

Accepted Answer

The culture of poverty theory asserts that poverty is a result of the values, beliefs, and norms that are passed down through generations in low-income communities. The theory suggests that individuals in poverty are socialized into a culture that leads to behavior that perpetuates poverty, such as lack of motivation and limited educational and occupational opportunities. Sarah's belief that her neighbors' poverty results from their socialization into a set of values, beliefs, and norms that perpetuate poverty aligns with the culture of poverty theory.

Question 10

When a person moves from one position in a class structure to a nearly identical position, the person is said to experience:

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Question 11

In two or three sentences, compare and contrast caste and class as systems of stratification.

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Question 12

Which of the following is an example of downward mobility?

Accepted Answer

Downward mobility refers to a decrease in social or economic status. Jane, who was raised in a middle-class household but now works at a grocery store full time, exemplifies downward mobility.

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of what Pierre Bourdieu refers to as cultural capital?

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Question 14

Although official estimates show that relatively few elderly people live in poverty, these statistics may be misleading because:

Accepted Answer

Official estimates may not fully account for the disparities in poverty rates among elderly people due to differences in gender, race, and marital status, which can significantly affect their economic situation.

Question 15

When sociologists examine how far an individual moves up or down the socioeconomic scale in his or her lifetime, they are studying:

Accepted Answer

Intragenerational mobility refers to the changes in an individual's social status over the course of their lifetime, specifically moving up or down the socioeconomic scale. A is incorrect as absolute poverty refers to a measure of income or consumption below a certain threshold. B refers to the process by which social class status is passed down from one generation to the next. C is too ambiguous as it could refer to a wide range of life changes.

Question 16

Riley Vidal is a seventy-five-year-old who lives in a nursing home. Like many elderly people in the United States, Vidal likely relies on ________ for his income.

Accepted Answer

Social Security is a government-run program that provides financial assistance to elderly citizens who have retired or are unable to work due to medical reasons. Many elderly people in the United States rely on Social Security as their primary source of income, especially if they do not have substantial savings or other forms of financial support. While some elderly individuals may have part-time jobs or receive money from their children, these sources of income are generally less common than Social Security among the elderly population.

Question 17

Individuals living in rural communities cut off from resources and opportunities, like individuals living in inner cities with high crime rates, are likely to experience what sociologists call:

Accepted Answer

Rural communities that are cut off from resources and opportunities can become socially excluded from larger society. This means that they are unable to fully participate in society and lack access to important resources such as transportation, healthcare, and education. Social exclusion can lead to a range of negative outcomes for individuals and communities, including poverty, poor health, and limited economic opportunities.

Question 18

According to the textbook, which phenomenon erased many of the gains in child well-being made in the past twenty years?

Accepted Answer

The 2008 economic recession had a significant impact on child well-being, erasing many of the gains made in the past twenty years. This recession resulted in increased poverty rates, decreased access to healthcare and education, and higher levels of stress and instability for families, all of which negatively impacted children's well-being.

Question 19

One of the most distressing signs of the growing stratification in the United States is the growth in the number of:

Accepted Answer

The growth in the number of homeless people is one of the most distressing signs of the growing stratification in the United States. The wealth gap has made it difficult for many people to afford housing, leading to a rise in homelessness.

Question 20

Whose explanation of social stratification do you think best describes the United States today: Karl Marx's, Max Weber's, or Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore's? Justify your answer in a short paragraph.

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Quiz 7: Stratification, Class, and Inequality